Howard's ploys reinforce separatist schooling

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On the eve of the election, John Howard has suddenly discovered there is a shortage of skills in Australia. His Government reduced federal TAFE funding by 15 per cent in real terms and left 40,000 Australians each year without the opportunity to gain new skills.

His proposal to set up a new network of technical colleges in opposition to TAFE and independent of the state system would wastefully duplicate the existing system. It would produce the same divisive separatist system which his Government has fostered in the school system.

His election ploy to direct funds to school parents' bodies would reinforce inequality. Children at public schools without active parents' groups would be massively disadvantaged. Resources would go to the most aggressive, not the neediest.

Margaret Henry, Wickham, September 26.

John Howard's policy speech should be applauded by all Australians who want our nation to continue to be epitomised as a modern economic miracle. The measures foreshadowed by the PM in health, education, family welfare, age care, should blow the ALP's plans right out of the water.

The plan to establish an Australia-wide vocational style of technical training will bring Australia into line with some of the most advanced style of training technical and tradespeople in Europe.

Perhaps, as in some of these countries where trade status can be attained within two or three years, employers could be invited to participate in the development of this type of training, financially or otherwise.

Vocational training, as opposed to apprenticeships, will almost certainly provide most technical and tradespeople in the near future.

Jack Mott, Rockhampton, September 26.

So much for the grand 10-year vision our Prime Minister trumpeted at the start of the election campaign. At today's policy launch, he offered buckets of cash to various interest groups. But to those of us who consider the environment to be the greatest problem there was exactly nothing.

David Daish, Pyrmont, September 26.

John Howard's $1 billion promise to repair the damage done by his neglect and underfunding of government and needy independent schools is a nightmare of red tape. Under his new scheme, parent bodies from each school would have to submit their plans for capital works projects, such as upgrading classrooms, libraries and basic amenities and school grounds, directly to the Federal Government for approval.

A whole new level of bureaucracy will be required to oversee this expenditure.

John Goldbaum, Potts Point, September 27.

John Howard can no longer be said to be the enemy of public education for he has not only proposed greater federal funding for improving learning conditions of young Australians, but has guaranteed the money allocated will go directly to where it is needed most - away from state bureaucrats and straight to our schools.

The Prime Minister's $1 billion capital works initiative will be greatly appreciated in NSW where projects in waiting total some $124.6 million thanks to our Labor-run state government.

If Mr Howard is re-elected, I would like to see him go further with his direct funding initiative for public education by federalising the entire system so public schools might become self-determining, like so many successful independent institutions.

Benjamin Smith, Glenmore Park, September 27.

The popular notion that the Government can afford to hurl billions out the Treasury windows now because of its exceptional economic management over the past eight years is false.

The average rate of economic growth per capita under the Hawke/Keating era was almost identical to the rate attained under the present government. And most economists agree that the ALP's structural reforms made good economic performance easier to achieve for subsequent governments. Across the Hawke/Keating Labor period, employment grew about 20 per cent faster than it has since March 1996 under Mr Howard.

The real reason the Government has been promising to cut taxes and increase public expenditure of late is mundane. It has been collecting more revenue than it has been spending and it thinks Santa Claus impersonations just prior to an election will win votes.

Brent Howard, Rydalmere, September 27.

Just a few questions, Mr Howard. Which of your latest bag of "promises" are core promises? And how high will interest rates need to go if all your $6 billion is spent as proposed? Or are we looking forward to another three years of obfuscation and dissembling?

John Hinde, Millers Point, September 27.

I keep listening and looking, but all in vain. Where is the Liberal arts policy? How come everyone and their dog has received millions but there's virtually ziltch for our cash-starved arts?

If we are forced to have a free trade agreement with the world's most aggressive culturally imperialistic nation, we need money to wave our own flag to show we are different. The alternative is too scary.

Warren Fahey, Potts Point, September 27.

Last night John Howard officially opened his campaign with $6 billion dollars in promises. Economic commentators seem to think that this will put pressure on interest rates. However, they need to factor in that many of these are non-core promises.

The financial markets on the other hand have a better understanding of the situation. Long-term fixed-interest rates are falling, demonstrating that both parties pose no threat to interest rates in the foreseeable future.

Denis Goodwin, Gosford, September 27.

The modest proposals to further simplify the tax system for small businesses is welcome but what about simplifying the system for PAYG taxpayers?

I have a recollection that as part of the bribe for accepting the GST, there was a promise to simplify the tax arrangements for ordinary taxpayers. Notwithstanding the notorious Tax Pack, the system is so complicated that most Australians now employ tax agents to prepare their returns.

This is doubtless very convenient for the Australian Tax Office but comes at enormous cost, despite its deductibility.

H.E. Hayward, Turramurra, September 27.

How very convenient for the ALP that every one of its policy initiatives is aimed at "easing the squeeze" and helping Australians to climb the ladder of opportunity whereas every one of the Coalition's policy initiatives is a cunning ploy of some beast-like creature called Crazy John aimed at buying another nefarious election victory.

Sadly for Labor, elections are not contests awarded to the party with the biggest array of taunts, meaningless cliches and namecallers. If this was the case, Paul Keating would still be PM.

Michael Gilmour, Mulgrave (Vic), September 27.

Congratulations to Ross Gittins on his excellent article ("Drop the stereotype, Labor isn't a big economic risk", Herald, September 27). His comments about Mr Howard's "breathtaking hypocrisy" and the perception of Labor's inferior ability to manage the economy should be read by anyone interested in truth in this election campaign.

Jill Hore, Burrill Lake, September 27.

Get on your bike for

responsible commuting

Julianne Taverner (Heckler, September 27) seems to forget that bikes were on Parramatta Road years before the cars. But she is right: some of the roadspace should be returned - to make bike lanes - so that the bikes don't hold the poor dear up.

Fiona Campbell, Marrickville, September 27.

Would Julianne Taverner like me to buy her a train ticket so that she and her smoggy car don't hold the entire city up? Between eight and 12 svelte cyclists could fill that single car space which more responsible commuting would release on Parramatta Road.

Jane Salmon, Lindfield, September 27.

Parking fines out of hand

Double parking and similar offences have now been declared unsafe, clearly to help government revenue. In North Sydney, brown bombers routinely park illegally while booking people parked at such unsafe places as expired meters. Can I now make a citizen's arrest?

Rob Clifton-Steele, McMahons Point, September 27.

This whole parking fine crackdown is getting completely out of hand. I had to park in a no parking zone the other day to pick up the dry cleaning, and came back to find a grey ghost writing me a ticket. Heaven knows what he thought he was doing. He could plainly see that my hazard lights were on.

Len Keating, Balmain, September 27.

Hardie boycott justice

Someone should explain to Timothy Trinh (Letters, September 27) that a nationwide boycott of James Hardie products is meant to hurt the company and its shareholders. That's the point.

James Hardie has made millions of dollars for its shareholders from a product that has caused, and continues to cause, immense suffering and lingering death. James Hardie has a clear moral and financial obligation to those victims and their families. Yet, by restructuring its operations and engaging in a bit of creative accounting, it seeks to avoid those obligations.

In doing so, James Hardie is making an unequivocal statement to the effect that it recognises no responsibilities other than ensuring a profit for its shareholders. In the absence of either principled shareholders or effective laws to enforce corporate responsibility, a concerted attack on James Hardie's profits would seem the most effective means for achieving justice for victims of asbestos.

Peter Harding, Canberra, September 27.

Cut out the ugliness

There was a time when the Department of Main Roads made careful and beautiful cuttings through the golden Sydney sandstone to make their expressways tolerably beautiful.

I now live in hope that all the cement shotcrete being sprayed on the cuttings around the Art Gallery of NSW is a temporary measure to be swept away in the completion stages of the cross-city tunnel. Come on, you clever engineers, don't let Sydney down, particularly adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Domain.

Ian Stapleton, Kings Cross, September 27.

Nocturnal activity

Virtually all day today at Cremorne Point water has been flowing from a burst water main. I rang Sydney Water, which informed me the RTA will not let them dig up the road until this evening. Tell the farmers that.

Rick Osborn, Cremorne Point, September 27.

Small minds have long been with us

I, too, remember many "Little Willy" jokes from my childhood - and I grew up to be a pacifist (Letters, September 27). My favourite was:

Little Willy in his bright blue

sash,

Fell into the fire and burnt to

ash.

Now the room is getting chilly,

But we haven't the heart to

poke poor Willy.

Valerie Brown, Woollahra, September 27.

My mother and grandmother used to quote from Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes by Harry Graham. One was:

O'er the rugged mountain

brow

Sarah threw the twins she

nursed,

Musing as she watched them

go

Which will reach the bottom

first.

Scilla Rosenberg, Kenthurst, September 27.

Warm feelings

The girls are wearing sandals. The boys rest their arms on their car doors while driving. Yep, summer is here.

S. Wilson, Pymble, September 27.

Ricky's final straw

No, Ricky Stuart, it will not be the grand final "everyone" wanted ("The grand final we had to have", Herald, September 27). The majority desperately wanted any two of the other 13 teams to play off next weekend.

James Mahoney, McKellar (ACT), September 27.

Any given Sunday

Why is it so many retired folk, with much time during the week, mow their lawn on Sunday?

Jeff Smith, North Haven, September 27.

Ducking the issue

Matthias Reimann's duck (Letters, September 27) qualified poorly if it was swimming in lane eight. The doctor supplying it with performance-enhancing drugs must be a quack.

Paul Stevens, Chatswood, September 27.

The rules of attraction

Sorry, Jack Newton (Letters, September 27), but you rah-rah supporters have it all wrong. No self-respecting AFL family would even consider scheduling a wedding between April and September in the first place.

Julie Rust, Eastwood, September 27.

Richard Hinds ("No choke: Port now the powers that be", Herald, September 27) remarks that in the AFL grand final more tickets than usual were with the fans of the competing clubs and the heroics were greeted with passionate roars rather than the usual low murmur of neutrals or corporate guests.

Can genuine football supporters - whatever their code - expect that future big games will be permitted to have a similar crowd make-up?

Leonard Colquhoun, Invermay (Tas), September 27.

Solving the water crisis would be a real vote winner

With the two biggest spenders in Australian voting history competing to become prime minister, neither has addressed Australia's major problem today and that is where will the water come from to drink in three years' time.

Ian McIntyre, Armidale, September 27.

Mr Latham, if you really want a winning promise for NSW voters, hit them with money for a national water solution. We are tired of hearing depressing news about our ever-decreasing water levels. This problem is obviously too big for the State Government to handle.

However, in a nation where the Federal Government can spend billions on joining a war on the other side of the world, surely you, as the new PM, would be able to find the vital funding to go towards a pragmatic and lasting solution to the water shortage throughout the country?

David Polson, Elizabeth Bay, September 27.

In these times of water scarcity, why are local councils using impractical planter boxes (which dry out faster than a garden bed does), and why are they filling them with water-thirsty hybrids such as pansies and polyanthus?

Why are they not leading by example and planting succulents or drought-resistant native plants? In fact, why don't they dispense with planter boxes altogether, and replace them with well-mulched garden beds which require less water?

Holly Landgren, Leichhardt, September 26.

My father does dilute his water (Letters, September 27). He adds three fingers of scotch to every 30ml.

Jeremy Brender, Kensington, September 27.

I was speaking with my neighbour, Robert, about the water situation and asked him how I'd wash myself if the dams ran dry. "I've got two showers," he said. "You can use one of mine."

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